Chapter Text
The run was a tradition, a huge celebration that took place every year. It started small, a thing created to incorporate humans and supernatural creatures into one community. It mixed the wild nature of the wolves--which had been the dominant species for a long time--and the courting habits of humans. It was even held on February 13th, keeping all the romance together. It had evolved over time, slowly one day wasn't enough, and it became a three-day festival that ran from the 12th to the 14th. On the first day, people searching for mates ran, people decided if they wanted to chase or if they wanted to be chased. Anyone was allowed to choose which role they took, but more often than not human decided to be chased. Without the aid of supernatural senses, it wasn't as easy to pick a mate. The people who ran set out into the forest in the early morning, and those who chased, set out a few hours later in the early afternoon.
Once caught it was up to the couples what happened when the chased was caught, but most of the time, they left the forest together and went to join their families. It wasn't uncommon for people to stop and consummate their new relationships on the forest floor, but it wasn't part of the run. It was just something that happened sometimes. Most people were happier waiting and having sex once they got home to their beds. Consent was a hugely important part of the festival, and there were lots of people on hand to make sure nothing illegal happened during. Many people also decided not to run at all, it was just as easy to find your mate or partner outside of the runs.
On the second day, people who already had a mate or partner ran. The couple would decide which role they wanted and then they'd run, many couples treated it as a rekindling of romance each year. Sometimes couples came out of the forest bloodied and battered, but laughing at the thrill of the chase. The harder the chase the more fun it seemed to be, but Derek didn't know because he hadn't run yet. The festival in Beacon Hills was one of the largest events in the United States, and it kept Derek's family beyond busy. There was no break for them from Halloween to Valentine's Day. It was just a constant panicked rush of holidays and celebrations until summer rolled around and his parents passed out for a few months, before they started the whole thing again.
Laura would have to take it all over when she was older, but Derek thought she was excited about it. She loved the run, she loved the idea of finding her mate by scent alone and racing through the trees until she found them. Wolves ran as soon as they mastered their full shift, starting as young as 13 and ending with whatever age they managed it. Preteens and teenagers rarely found mates in their first handful of runs, even older wolves rarely found their mates the first time they ran. On top of that, finding a mate in a run didn't mean you'd be perfect for each other. People still dated, courted each other, made sure their personalities fit together, but a lot of the time it just seemed to work. Finding your mate on your first run was rare and special. The last couple to manage it in the Beacon Hills run were Derek's great-grandparents. "It means it more likely in our family," his mother told him, smiling just a little. It had taken his mother and father three runs to find each other, which was still considered fast.
Derek was 15-years-old when he had managed to shift into a full wolf. His mother had screamed with delight when it happened, and his father had called him an early bloomer. He was the youngest member of his family to shift... since his great-grandmother. Laura had been furious, because she hadn't managed the shift yet, and was two years older. So, when the day of the festival had arrived, she waited outside the preserve, arms crossed, and burning with unconcealed jealousy. Derek had shifted, smugly looked at her, and then trotted into the trees. He hadn't thought about what it would be like after that, but now that he was here, he was scared. He took a few more steps into the trees, and sniffed the air, looking for something. Then the wind whipped past him, and just like that Derek knew his mate was there. Except they weren't in the forest ahead of him, they were out of the trees behind him. So, Derek turned and left the woods. "Derek?" Laura called, as she watched him move through the crowds of people. He heard his mother call his name a moment later, but he kept moving forward. He found the scent suddenly, in the form of a young boy with hair buzzed short and wide bright amber eyes.
Derek moved toward him, and when the boy noticed him, his face broke into a huge smile. "Mum! Look a wolf!" he said, pointing toward Derek.
"Oh, hello," the woman said, she had the same brown hair and amber eyes. "Shouldn't you be running?" Derek looked from her to the boy and then back again, and she seemed to realise what he meant. Her mouth turned into a small o, and she nodded her head. To Derek's surprise, the boy realised what was happening too.
"I'm not ready yet," he said. Derek turned and looked at the boy, who seemed a little sad by the statement. Derek knew as soon as he saw the boy that he was too young. He was maybe 10 or 11, still too young and too small, but so full of bright wonderful promise. So, Derek rubbed himself along the boy's side, making him laugh and run his fingers through Derek's fur. It was a promise for another year and another meeting. Derek turned and went back to his mother's side, where he spent the rest of the day. That night, he told his mother about the boy with the amber eyes, and bright smile. Talia ran her fingers through Derek's hair and smiled down at him.
"I'm so happy for you, pup," she whispered and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Derek dreamt of the boy that night, the two of them sitting together and reading comic books. He dreamt innocently, and he dreamt kindly. He dreamt a friendship that would bloom into love when the time was right.
***
Derek walked Laura to the edge of the forest for her first run, waiting with her as she vibrated with excitement. Then once she had disappeared he went walking. The boy was there again the next year, a little bigger with a chemical tint to his scent that hadn't been there last time. Derek moved through the crowds until he found him again, the boy was sitting with his mother again, but this time there was a police officer with them. The boy smiled widely when he saw Derek there. "Mum! He came back!" his mate said excitedly. The deputy and his wife both looked over at Derek, who tilted his head to the side.
"Hello again," the boy's mother said and patted the ground between her and the boy. Derek inched forward slowly, watching to make sure the deputy didn't get upset, and when it seemed okay he settled between the boy and his mother. Derek spent the day there, with his mate's family, too scared to shift back because of his age. He was keenly aware of the difference, not huge and when they were older, it would be unimportant, but Derek was 16 and his mate was 12. So, Derek stayed a wolf, and the boy was thrilled to have him there. It was late that night when the boy looked at him sadly and told him again.
"I'm not ready yet." Derek nodded his head, and the boy smiled at him. "I'll be ready one day. Promise." Derek rubbed against the boy and nodded a second time; Derek clung to the promise as he went to find his own family. When he was back at home and in bed, he realised he didn't even know his mate's name. No one had said it, and Derek had no way to ask. He fell asleep wondering what matched the boy's face.
***
Derek thought about not shifting the next year, but he was 17 now and his family joked that he had resting murderer face, so he turned into a wolf. He walked Laura to the edge of the forest and watched her race off into the trees for the second year in a row. Derek found the boy again, this time he was sitting with another boy, and when Derek appeared the second boy screamed. "That's my wolf!" his mate said, his voice full of pride. Derek preened at the sound, wanting to curl up on the boy's lap.
"He's huge!" the other boy said, scooting back as Derek approached.
"He's getting pretty big," his mate agreed. His mate had grown too, like teenagers did, quickly and seemingly out of sight. His limbs were long and awkward; his movements were sharp and panicked, even when he didn't seem to feel that way. Derek sat on the ground with the two boys and by the end of the day, Derek knew the friend's name was Scott, but still didn't know his mate's name.
"Come on, St--" Scott had started to say, but his mate reached out and slapped his hand over Scott's mouth.
"No!" he cried and shook his head. Derek stared at him, head cocked to the side, but his mate just smiled softly and said.
"I'm not ready yet." Derek huffed, wanting to be upset that his mate was like this, but instead he found it endearing. Derek rub against him again, making his mate laugh, and then he went back to find his family. Laura had returned alone, but not unhappy about it.
"You're so lame," she said when Derek came downstairs for dinner.
"At least I've found my mate," he said.
"You could talk to him," she said.
"He's still young," Derek answered.
"Oh, like you're so fucking old," Laura said and laughed.
"He's probably only 13," Derek said and Laura stopped laughing.
"Okay... that's a little young for a 17-year-old. Why don't you go see him outside the festival? I bet you'd find him around town pretty easily."
"He's said he isn't ready, I don't want him to think I'm trying to force something," Derek answered.
"You could be friends," Laura said.
"We'll get there at some point," Derek told her and she huffed out a small laugh.
"You're so sappy," she told him and took her dinner out into the living room.
***
The next year Derek had to help with the festival, setting up tables and decorations, so it took longer to run off to find his mate in the crowds. He walked Laura and this year his uncle Peter--who had decided to try doing the run at home this year--to the edge of the forest. He watched them disappear in different directions and then he turned and went to find the boy. Scott was with him again, the two sitting and clearly waiting for Derek to arrive. "Wolf!" Scott called when he saw him. Derek trotted over to them, collapsing onto his side next to his mate.
"Geez, I've got myself a lazy wolf," his mate said. Derek huffed and then snuffled against the side of his mate's leg. He laughed and ran his fingers through Derek's fur until Derek dozed off. He woke up a few hours later, with both Scott and his mate leaning against his side.
"Sorry dude, is this weird?" Scott asked, "you're just really warm." Derek didn't move and they took it as a sign that he didn't mind them there. Derek nudged his nose against his mate's hand, making the boy jump and then look embarrassed.
"I'm not ready yet," he said very softly, and Derek nodded. He wasn't trying to force anything; he just wanted a moment of closeness. His mate wrapped his arms around Derek's neck and hugged him. "Thank you," his mate said. Derek left them when he heard Peter howl triumphantly from beyond from the forest. Laura returned alone, but Peter came back with a man about his age with dirty blonde hair and stubble. Talia was thrilled, hugging both Peter and his mate, saying that it was time Peter stopped whoring around.
"Are you jealous?" Laura asked later when they were sitting in the living room, long after their parents had gone to bed.
"Jealous?"
"Of Peter," she added. "I am."
"A little," Derek confessed. "I... I would like to be with my mate, but--"
"Yeah, I know, he's too young," Laura answered and sighed. "I thought that maybe since it was so easy for you, it might be easy for me too. Then, Peter shows up runs and found a mate, just like that."
"Peter's been running in New York for years," Derek said. "Maybe switch placed with him? Run out there." Laura snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Could you imagine the scandal if the future alpha of Beacon Hills found her mate in another territory?" Laura said.
"What would the neighbours think," Derek said dramatically making Laura laugh.
"We'd be an embarrassment, Derek!" she told him.
"Can you two shut up?!" Cora shouted from the top of the stairs. "No one cares about your weird teenager existential dread! Some of us are trying to sleep!"
"Good use of existential, sweetie" their father called from his bedroom, making Cora groan and storm off back to her bedroom. She slammed her door so hard that Derek was sure he heard the wood crack.
"Grumpy," Laura said, rolling her eyes.
"She'll get it someday," Derek said and smiled a little.
"I wasn't that dramatic," Laura said confidently.
"Yes you were!" their mother called. "Derek is my only drama free child!" Laura groaned, just like Cora had, and got off the couch.
"You're nosy, mum!" Laura said and then turned to Derek again. "Well night, baby bro, have fun pining after your jailbait."
"Don't call him that," Derek mumbled.
"Then give me a name to call him," she said as she left the room. Derek sighed, sinking down into the couch, and staring at the ceiling. Someday, he'd have his name someday, but for now, mate sounded just fine.
***
The following year, Derek caught his mate's scent as soon as he arrived, stronger and closer to the trees. He helped his mother for a few hours in the morning, realising suddenly that his mate was in the forest this year. His mate was running this year. "Are you alright?" Talia asked when Derek's heart rate spiked.
"He's running," he said and Talia grinned at him.
"Go get ready!" she said. "Go on!" Derek nodded, ducking into one of the tents to strip out of his clothing and shift into wolf form. He and Laura walked to the edge of the trees, both humming with excitement, and then they ran. Derek caught his mates scent instantly, trailing into the trees, and Derek chased it. He only ran for 15 minutes, and then he found his mate, standing in the middle of a clearing. He turned as soon as he heard Derek and he smiled. He was still gangly, with limbs too long and his hair buzzed short. His mate lifted his hands up in front of him, and his scent turned suddenly.
"I'm sorry," he said, and Derek's heart lurched in his chest. It wasn't uncommon for potential mates to reject their suitors, but Derek hadn't let himself entertain the idea so far. The idea that his mate didn't want him terrified him, that his mate thought he wasn't good enough or was too weak or clingy, or-- "I'm... I'm not ready yet." Derek was instantly relieved because that was fine, he would always wait for his mate to be ready. Derek walked toward him, slowly and carefully, and then rubbed against his mate's side. "Not mad then?" Derek just huffed and shook his head. They sat in the forest together, Derek's head in his mate's lap, until the sun started to set and they trudged out together. His mate ran his hand over Derek's head and then waved as he hurried over to his parents. Derek turned to see his father standing and watching him. He smiled sadly at Derek, but Derek ignored him in favour of going to get dressed. No one said anything to Derek, which Derek thought might have actually been worse.
***
His mate ran again the next year, the same way he had before, straight into the trees and then he waited. Derek found him there, sat at the edge of the clearing and listened to his mate; embarrassingly say once again, "I'm not ready yet." Derek just agreed, ready to hear the words, and moved toward him. His mate smiled at him, sat down and offered Derek a sandwich he'd pulled from his bag. "Like my hoodie?" his mate asked, tugging at one of the too long sleeves. It was bright red, making him stand out against the forest. "Is Little Red Riding Hood offensive?" he asked after a minute, and Derek snorted. "What? It's a valid question." Derek just munched on the food and listened to his mate ramble.
"Scott's running this year, well... kind of. He's got asthma, so he's really meandering this year. His mum hoped he'd outgrow it, but it seems like it's getting worse you know? Well, he has a girlfriend now, she's running too this year. They're cute; I dunno how it's going to go. I'm not even really sure why they both decided to run anyway, something about the experience probably. I hope neither of them get picked, let them have a little of that teen romance." Derek looked up at his mate, whined low in his throat, hoping to convey his question. His mate looked down at him and blinked a few times.
"Oh, no, dude. I don't need that stuff, I've never wanted that, you know? I've had a mate since I was 11; I've had the option of romance for ages, but... I dunno. There's just... I'm sorry. You're being so patient with me, maybe I should just--" Derek growled low in his throat, making his mate look down at him. "Doesn't seem fair to you," the boy said softly. Derek could hear the way his mate's heart pounded, panicked and upset. Derek didn't want his mate to bond with him, just because he felt guilty, so Derek rolled onto his side and nuzzled against him. "How are you this nice?" he asked, and Derek huffed. He wanted to tell his mate that most people said he was an asshole, but instead just cuddled closer. Derek didn't need romance either, not when forever smelt this good.
***
Derek followed his mate's scent deeper into the woods the next year, finding him sitting on a picnic blanket. He was wearing his Red Riding Hoodie and grinned when Derek tugged at it. "I brought food, Big Bad! And a blanket to keep the water off my ass," he said, waving a sandwich at Derek. "I made some and stole some stuff from the catering tables." Derek pressed against his mate's side, breathing in deep breaths of his scent, pleased to be there at all. Derek thought, that someday, another wolf was going to realise how wonderful his mate smelt and would try to take him away. It wasn't uncommon for there to be fights over mates; the possibility was there, that multiple wolves thought the person smelt good enough to try for. Besides, his mate was smart and funny, with a quick wit and cutting words. He was perfect, Derek thought, as the two of them dozed in a patch of sunlight coming through the trees.
It was easy to ignore the other sounds of the forest, where some wolves and their mates consummated their relationships on the forest floor. His mate rolled onto his side and then sighed. "If I can hear the sex, it must be awful for you," he said, and then shouted, "Get a room you animals!"
"Mind your own business!" someone else yelled back at him.
"You're fucking our mother!" his mate shouted, seemed slightly stunned by what he had said, and then added, "fucking on the ground is essentially making Mother Earth part of your sex life! Our mother doesn't want this!"
"Shut the fuck up!" the person yelled back, but his mate was laughing too hard to hear it.
"What the hell is wrong with me? I'm sorry, if you make me your mate, you're getting a mate with a broken brain," he said and rolled onto his side. Derek leant forward and pressed his nose to his mate's cheek. Derek licked the spot a second later before he pulled back and blinked at his mate. "I'm not ready yet," his mate whispered, and Derek nodded.
Derek ate dinner later that night, his sisters and cousins around the table with him, the adults were still out drinking and celebrating. "Are you sure he even wants to be your mate?" his cousin Jen asked, waving a roll at him. "I mean, it's been years, that's pretty weird."
"He's a weird kid," Derek answered, but the question sat heavily in his chest.
"I've never heard of anything like it before," Geoff said. "Maybe he thinks you're too weird, you do look like a serial killer."
"Come on, leave him alone," Laura snapped, and they did, because she was in charge. Derek knew people whispered about him, about the way his mate kept him at arm's length. He knew they talked about the way Derek didn't seek out his mate or try to talk him into mating, but Derek didn't want that. Derek wanted his mate to feel ready; he wanted his mate to tell him that he wanted to be with Derek, just as much as Derek wanted to be with him.
***
It was six months later when Derek's mother took down a rogue alpha after it bit a handful of people in town. They were folded into the pack and slipped into place like they belonged. Scott was one of them. He was polite when he met Derek, smiling and kind, he volunteered to help Derek set up for the run the next year. Derek accepted his help but didn't mention that he was the wolf. Even though part of him was desperate to know the name of his mate, a larger part of him felt like that was a violation of trust they had formed. So, Derek didn't ask. He didn't ask for his mate's name or ask for Scott to explain who the names belonged to when he talked about his friends.
Derek realised part way through the first morning of the festival, as he set up that he couldn't find his mates scent. He glanced through the crowds, finding other scents he knew, his mate's parents were both there, but his mate wasn't. There was just a lingering smell of him and the warm smell of magic. "Derek? Are you okay?" Scott asked, holding an arm full of tablecloths.
"He's not here," Derek said.
"Who's not here?"
"My mate," he answered.
"I didn't know you had a mate," Scott said.
"Derek found his mate years ago, they're just weird," Cora said.
"Oh, that's cool," Scott said and went back to setting up tables. Derek left them to finish setting up, shifted, and went searching for his mate's parents. He found them; sitting on the grass in the same place Derek had found them for the first time. His mate's mother smiled brightly at him and waved him closer.
"He is away this year," she said, digging into her bag. "He asked us to give you this if we saw you!" A second later she pulled out a black t-shirt, with "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate" written in Star Wars font across it. It was permeated in his mate's scent, along with the strange smell of magic.
"One of his favourites," his mate's father said. Derek realised the man was wearing the sheriff's uniform now. He smiled at Derek, a small one, that Derek thought was wonderfully kind. Derek shuffled a little, worried to take the shirt like his own spit would wreck the scent trapped in the fabric. He barked once at them, and then turned and hurried off. He returned a few minutes later with a plastic bag between his teeth. His mate's mother laughed, but carefully slipped the shirt inside for him. His mate's father gave him a note that was folded and sealed. Derek spent the rest of the festival carrying the shirt around in the bag, even after he'd shifted back and went back to help out. He spent most of the day filling drinks and checking on the food stands. He kept busy until Laura howled victoriously from the forest, then he went to the edge of the trees and waited for her to emerge. She appeared about ten minutes later, walking alongside a blonde man that Derek recognized from when he was in school. Talia was overjoyed, the whole pack was, the future Alpha finding her mate was a big deal. Derek tucked the shirt into his car when he had a moment, sitting in the backseat and carefully opening the letter.
Dear Wolf o' Mine,
Sorry, I'm not around this year; I spent a lot of time thinking about not being there. It was a hard choice. But, I'm doing this thing... it's important, and it's the only time of the year that I'm off school and these lessons I'm taking were available. I miss you... I hope you got the shirt; I slept it in for like a week before I left. I'm sure if you got the letter you got the shirt, but anyway. It has gotta smells a lot like me, hopefully, that will carry your weird wolfy self until I can see you next. I'm not ready yet, but I'll get there soon.
Derek held the letter in his hands, scanning the words over and over, before he put it away, and went and joined the pack in their celebration. Derek stayed close to his mother and father, away from the side glances at him, and the comparisons that were thrown between him and Laura.
"At least she could claim her mate," someone said.
"Maybe there is something wrong with Derek?" someone else said.
"Maybe he's really as angry as he looks."
"He probably has a short temper."
"Maybe he's lying about the mate thing altogether. I've never seen them together." Derek ignored them, pressed closer to his parents, and let the concerns of the pack drift away.
***
Laura did the opening ceremony the next year, their mother watching from the sidelines, but it was fine. Laura was a natural, taking to public speaking like a duck to water, it made her shine. Derek wished he felt that comfortable in his own skin, but standing alone in a crowd of people he barely knew, he felt acutely aware of how uncomfortable he was. He slipped from the group and his own skin. He shifted into the wolf, shaking out his fur and feeling free and happier in that moment. He searched for his mate's scent, trying not to let the disappoint crush him when he realised he wasn't there. Instead, Derek found his mate's mother again. "He's away again, I'm afraid. He's in New York," she said. It made Derek's skin crawl, thinking his mate was at another romance festival by himself. "He asked me to give you this," she added, holding out a plastic bag. Derek carefully took it from her, bowing his head, before he scampered away. He changed back, tossed the bag into his car, and drove home long before the festival ended.
Derek pulled the red hoodie from the plastic bag when he was sitting on his bed. He held it in his hands for a moment, before carefully unfolding it and tugging it on. It was too small for him, but it was comforting. Derek found another letter tucked into one of the pockets. He unfolded it slowly, scared that there was something awful written inside. Instead, he found another apology, and promise to return soon. It wasn't signed, like the last one hadn't been, instead of ending with "I'm not ready yet." which sat somewhere between comforting and mocking. Derek locked his bedroom door, curled up in his bed, with the hoodie still on, and slept through the rest of the festival.
***
When Derek arrived at the festival he didn't let himself hope that his mate would be there, and when he arrived and he was right, he thought it must hurt less. Derek spent most of the day next to his mother, helping her with whatever came up. He kept away from the pack members who looked at him with judging eyes. Derek knew better, his mated wanted him, and he wanted his mate. He stopped his mother from chasing people down, and getting mad at them because he thought that seemed like confirmation of their thoughts.
"You should go find his parents," Talia said, as the sun started to set.
"I don't think I want to," Derek answered, fishing a few pop cans out of the garbage and moving them to the recycling.
"What if they have another gift from him?" she asked. No one had ever addressed the gifts before, but it wasn't like Derek could hide the way he was wrapped in his mates scent after the last two runs.
"I..."
"Go on," Talia urged, "focus on the fact that he is leaving you gifts, and not just disappearing." Derek finally agreed, shifted, and set out to find his mate's parents. His mate's mother saw him as he approached and she seemed to perk up.
"There you are! I was worried something had happened to you!" she called. Derek winced at her words, feeling guilty that he had made her worry. "Now, my son and I had a bit of an argument over what to leave you this year. He thought his boxers were completely acceptable, but I disagreed and we settled on his pillowcase which, is to say, I changed the gift after he left. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Just don't tell him later." She held another plastic bag out to Derek, and he carefully took it from her. He suddenly realised that he'd ever bothered to bring a gift for his mate, and felt stupid and selfish. His mate's father joined them a moment later, smiling at Derek in a way that was almost worrying.
"He'll be back soon," he said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. Derek nodded his head before he disappeared back through the crowd and to his car. Inside the bag was a pillowcase, one that smelled so strongly of mate that it made Derek's head spin. The same smell of magic clung to the fabric as well, and Derek wondered if it was his mate or one of his mate's parents who was the magic user. He tucked one of his pillows inside the case when he got home, tossing it onto his bed, and staring at it. It was a strange green-blue colour that stood out awkwardly against his red-orange bedspread, but it seemed right. His mate was a sharp, vibrant contrast to Derek.
***
Derek arrived late in the afternoon to the run the next year, but as soon as he opened the door he could smell him. His mate's scent clouded his mind, suddenly and completely. He was here, he was home again, and it made Derek want to shift beside his car, modesty be damned. He clutched at his car door, swaying back and forth for a minute before he closed the door and hurried into the festival. He ducked into the closet empty tent, stripped out of his clothing, shifted, and then raced into the forest. He followed a straight path, leading him toward their clearing, and then beyond to the second place they had settled. He found the picnic blanket set out, with only the scent of his mate clinging to the fabric. Derek realised suddenly, that his mate was running from him. His mate was asking to be chased. Derek wanted to howl, to let his mate know he was there, he was coming, but it would sound too much like a victory. So, Derek ran after him. He followed trails, found dead ends, chased false scents. He was at a disadvantage, he had come too late in the day, he should have had hours to search. His mate had, had hours to hide, but Derek would search into the night.
He found spots where his mate had climbed trees, thrown himself from its branches and ran through streams. Derek chased him until it was pitch black in the forest, and there were worried howls coming to look for him. He didn't want that, he didn't want the pack to find him and drag him from his chase. He crashed through the stream, sending a panicked owl up into the sky away from him, then he was in a new clearing, and there was his mate. He stood in a pool of moonlight that broke through the trees, and it made Derek's heart stop. He was done growing now, his limbs fit his body, and he'd grown out his hair. He was dressed in tight black pants, a Star Wars t-shirt, and a red plaid over shirt. He was smiling at him, eyes glowing in the low light, like fire hidden inside of him. The smell of magic clung to his mate's skin, but Derek thought it made him smell even better. His mate grinned at him, and it sent a thrill of excitement through his body. Derek moved toward him, shifting as he went until he was a man standing in front of his mate.
Derek saw his mate's breath catch as he looked at him, and Derek thought about ducking away and hiding from his gaze. Instead, he squared his shoulders and tilted his head to the side. "Hello, Wolf," his mate said. His voice was strong, warm, and welcoming.
"Derek," he said. His mate smiled wider and moved toward him.
"Stiles," he answered. The name slammed against Derek's ribs and settled on his heart like a missing piece. Derek reached for him, hand shaking as he did, he paused, inches from Stiles. "Scared?" Stiles whispered between them.
"Terrified," Derek answered.
"I've wanted to see you for ten years," Stiles told him.
"I've wanted that too."
"Then why are you hesitating?" Stiles asked, but he could tell Stiles knew the reason why. Derek raised an eyebrow, slowly and meaningfully. Stiles laughed, and then very softly he said, "I'm ready now." Derek surged forward, wrapped his arms around him, and pulled him close. Stiles pressed his lips to Derek's, wrapped his arms around his neck, and let Derek lift him off the ground. Their kiss was messy and unskilled. There was too much teeth, and neither of them could stop smiling long enough to actually really kiss each other. Neither of them really knew what they were doing, but they'd learn, and the idea of it thrilled Derek. Instead of worrying about the kiss, Derek threw his head back and howled his victory. He howled loud and long, as Stiles laughed in his arms, and Derek knew that he didn't care about anything else.